Corvallis

Review of 2 Towns’ newest limited release, Passion Statement. It is my first time trying this, but I’ve previously had nearly every cider they’ve ever made (see here).

<This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by 2 Towns. Although I will take care to treat it the same as any other review, there is always the potential for bias as I received this for free. The only consideration I knowingly made was pushing this up in my cider review que, considering it is a new release and the info may be helpful for folks deciding to purchase it. I love free stuff, especially cider! Want your cider or cider-related product reviewed here? Contact me.>

Cidery Description: At 2 Towns Ciderhouse we believe that the long history of cidermaking demands respect and deserves to be done right. Starting with the highest quality whole ingredients from local farms, we take no shortcuts in crafting our ciders. We never add any sugar, concentrates or artificial flavors, and instead use slow, cold fermentation methods to allow the fruit to speak for itself. As a family-owned company, we are committed to the growth of our team and enrichment of our communities. We take pride in producing true Northwest craft cider.

My Opinion: I liked it. However, it was a bit tart for my tastes. I think more sweetness could have helped smooth out the initial mouth-puckering tartness. Interestingly, it was much less tart the second day, after being left in the fridge overnight, and I enjoyed it more then.

Review of 2 Towns’ Hollow Jack, a seasonal cider with pumpkin, sweet potato, and pie spices. I sampled this last year (see here), and I’ve tried most of their line-up (see here).

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by 2 Towns. Although I will take care to treat it the same as any other review, there is always the potential for bias as I received it for free. The only consideration I knowingly made was pushing this up in my cider review cue. I love free stuff, especially cider! Want your cider or cider-related product reviewed here? Contact me.<<

Availability: Seasonably (September to November), primarily CA, OR, & WA, although in general their ciders are available in AK, CA, HI, ID, IL (Chicago), MN, NV, OR, and WA. See their Cider Finder.

Cider Description:Mischievous & spiced, Hollow Jack is far from empty. A brew of fresh-pressed apples, caramelized pumpkin and sweet potatoes is finished with a dash of honey and spices to carve out this special Fall cider.

Cidery Description: At 2 Towns Ciderhouse we believe that the long history of cidermaking demands respect and deserves to be done right. Starting with the highest quality whole ingredients from local farms, we take no shortcuts in crafting our ciders. We never add any sugar, concentrates or artificial flavors, and instead use slow, cold fermentation methods to allow the fruit to speak for itself. As a family-owned company, we are committed to the growth of our team and enrichment of our communities. We take pride in producing true Northwest craft cider.

Price: n/a (retails for ~ $6.99 / 500mlWhere Bought: n/aWhere Drank: homeHow Found: I first tried it at Cider Summit Seattle 2016, but this time it just showed up

My Opinion: Although I’m not a huge pumpkin / spiced cider fan, I liked this one, and it is my favorite of the five I’ve tried.

Most Similar to:Doc’s Draft Pumpkin cider (although that was a full sweet) and Tieton’s Smoked Pumpkin cider (although that was quite intensely flavored compared to this). I’ve also tried pumpkin ciders from Ace and Woodchuck.

Closing Notes: Unlike many pumpkin ciders (and beers), this one is actually made with pumpkin. Many just add the pie spices but still call it a pumpkin cider (or beer). Also, it is well balanced, with both the pumpkin and spices remaining light.

Review of 2 Towns’ Cot in the Act, an apricot infused seasonal cider. I sampled this last year (see here), and I’ve tried most of their line-up (see here).

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by 2 Towns. Although I will take care to treat it the same as any other review, there is always the potential for bias as I received it for free. The only consideration I knowingly made was pushing this up in my cider review cue. I love free stuff, especially cider! Want your cider or cider-related product reviewed here? Contact me.<<

Cider Description:Luminous & divine, Cot in the Act is just too tempting to resist, coupling Northwest apples with local Rival apricots. Referred to as “golden eggs of the sun” by the Greeks, apricots make this seasonal cider the perfect summer treat.

Cidery Description: At 2 Towns Ciderhouse we believe that the long history of cidermaking demands respect and deserves to be done right. Starting with the highest quality whole ingredients from local farms, we take no shortcuts in crafting our ciders. We never add any sugar, concentrates or artificial flavors, and instead use slow, cold fermentation methods to allow the fruit to speak for itself. As a family-owned company, we are committed to the growth of our team and enrichment of our communities. We take pride in producing true Northwest craft cider.

My Opinion: Yum! I really enjoyed how flavorful and juicy this cider was without being sweet (and it tasted even sweeter than the listed sugar content). It is often difficult to find a drier but flavorful cider.

Most Similar to: I’ve also tried apricot ciders from Anthem, Atlas, Carlton, Locust, Stem, Summit, and Tieton. The most similar was from Summit (as it was also a semi-dry, but flavorful), followed by those from Atlas & Locust, (although both of those were sweeter).

Review of 2 Towns Return of the Mack, a limited release unfiltered oak aged cider made with McIntosh apples. I previously tried an earlier release of this on draft (see here). I’ve also tried many other ciders from 2 Towns (see here).

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by 2 Towns. Although I will take care to treat it the same as any other review, there is always the potential for bias as I received it for free. The only consideration I knowingly made was pushing this up in my cider review cue. I love free stuff, especially cider! Want your cider or cider-related product reviewed here? Contact me.<<

Cider Description:Rich and complex, Return of the Mack is a specialty cider aged for 12 months in 1800 liter oak foeders and finished with McIntosh apples. So good. Yes, I cried, yes, I cried.

From Dave Takush, head cider maker for 2 Towns Ciderhouse: Return of the Mack is super rich, exceptionally juicy and has a big oak tannin backbone. It makes a great pairing with dark and stormy nights, and 90s slow jams.

Cidery Description: At 2 Towns Ciderhouse we believe that the long history of cidermaking demands respect and deserves to be done right. Starting with the highest quality whole ingredients from local farms, we take no shortcuts in crafting our ciders. We never add any sugar, concentrates or artificial flavors, and instead use slow, cold fermentation methods to allow the fruit to speak for itself. As a family-owned company, we are committed to the growth of our team and enrichment of our communities. We take pride in producing true Northwest craft cider.

Tasting Notes: On the drier side of semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low to moderate tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Smooth with a well-hidden ABV. Notes of unfiltered apple juice, lemon, orange, honey, and a hint of floral. Quick to moderate length finish. Moderate to high apple flavor. High sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity. Low complexity. Low oak influence (I expect it smoothed the flavor out more than adding any significant overt oak flavor).

My Opinion: I enjoyed Return of the Mack, but it is more of a basic easy drinking cider which I would expect to find in a multi pack, vs. a single bottle specialty release.

Most Similar to: I’d call this a sweeter, more boozy, and slightly more complex version of 2 Towns Out Cider.

Review of 2 Towns’ newest Cellar Series cider, La Mûre, a sour blackberry cider aged in Pinot Noir red wine barrels for over a year. It is inspired by Belgian-style sour lambic beer. I’ve tried most of their cider line-up; see my past reviews here.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by 2 Towns. Although I will take care to treat it the same as any other review, there is always the potential for bias as I received it for free. The only consideration I knowingly made was pushing this up in my cider review cue. I love free stuff, especially cider! Want your cider or cider-related product reviewed here? Contact me.<<

Availability: Limited release of 70 cases, mostly in the 2 Towns tap room and a few select accounts in Oregon. In general 2 Towns ciders are available in AK, CA, HI, ID, IL (Chicago), MN, NV, OR, and WA.

Cider Description:La Mûre is made with 100 percent fresh-pressed Northwest apples and whole, Oregon-grown blackberries…Inspired by the Flemish beers of Belgium, La Mûre is 6.9% ABV, bone dry, and holds complex fruit character. La Mûre is aged in local Pinot Noir barrels with lactobacillus for over a year, resulting in a strong backbone, light oak flavors and a wild lactic tang. “This cider is for the more adventurous cider drinker who dabbles in wild ales, sour beers and farmhouse or Asturian-style ciders,” said Dave Takush, head cider maker at 2 Towns Ciderhouse. “La Mûre is French for blackberry. We named this cider after the berry to pay homage to the Flemish ciders of Belgium, and echo wild lambic beers like framboise and cassis.”

Cidery Description: At 2 Towns Ciderhouse we believe that the long history of cidermaking demands respect and deserves to be done right. Starting with the highest quality whole ingredients from local farms, we take no shortcuts in crafting our ciders. We never add any sugar, concentrates or artificial flavors, and instead use slow, cold fermentation methods to allow the fruit to speak for itself. As a family-owned company, we are committed to the growth of our team and enrichment of our communities. We take pride in producing true Northwest craft cider.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Light to medium bodied. A balance of moderate tartness, acidity, and sourness. However, the sourness is more at the front of the palate than a typical sour cider where the sourness hits further back. Hints of funk and bitterness. Tannic blackberry flavor. Moderate to high red wine influence. Low to moderate oak influence. Moderate length finish. Moderate flavor intensity. No apple flavor. Very low sessionability.

My Opinion: I’m not a sour cider fan, so no surprise, I wasn’t a fan of this cider. And thats ok…not everyone likes every cider. I knew going into it that I needed some backup, so I had three cider friends over. They are all sour cider lovers, especially berry sour ciders, and loved this one. We opened a lot of ciders and this was one of the few that actually got finished.

Most Similar to: Finnriver Barrel Berry Sour from Port Townsend WA (although less sour) and WildCraft berry ciders from Eugene OR (all their ciders have a slight sourness although most aren’t advertised as sours).

Closing Notes: If you love sour & farmhouse-style cider, Belgian-style lambic beer, etc, and can find this special release, give it a try. 2 Towns really branched out with this one, making something that won’t be a crowd pleaser, but will be truly appreciated by those who enjoy these types of uniquely crafted ciders.

Like this:

Review of 2 Towns’ Imperial Hop and Stalk, a seasonal release with Citra hops and Crimson Red rhubarb. I’ve tried most of their line-up; see my reviews here.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by 2 Towns. Although I will take care to treat it the same as any other review, there is always the potential for bias as I received it for free. The only consideration I knowingly made was pushing this up in my cider review cue. I love free stuff, especially cider! Want your cider or cider-related product reviewed here? Contact me.<<

Cider Description:An outrageous amount of Citra hops, locally grown Crimson Red rhubarb, and fresh-pressed NW apples create a trenchant hard cider with huge floral, citrus & passion fruit notes. The outspoken dry-hopped character of this cider is best when fresh, so make sure to exercise your Stalk Hoptions before they expire!

Cidery Description: At 2 Towns Ciderhouse we believe that the long history of cidermaking demands respect and deserves to be done right. Starting with the highest quality whole ingredients from local farms, we take no shortcuts in crafting our ciders. We never add any sugar, concentrates or artificial flavors, and instead use slow, cold fermentation methods to allow the fruit to speak for itself. As a family-owned company, we are committed to the growth of our team and enrichment of our communities. We take pride in producing true Northwest craft cider.

My Opinion: I wasn’t expecting to like this cider as I wouldn’t call myself a fan of hops or rhubarb. However, I really enjoyed it–I loved the complexity and uniqueness.

Most Similar to: Hopped ciders with lots of citrus notes and some fruitiness. Portland Cider Hop’Rageous also uses Citra hops, so you get more citrus & floral than bitter hops. Tod Creek Mala-Hop also had a lot of citrus notes, but used Chinook, Sterling and Centennial, not Citra hops. This is the most citrusy hopped cider I’ve tried though, and the only one with another fruit addition.

Cider Description:Sun’s Out Saison is made with tart, fresh-pressed Northwest apples fermented on peaches with an authentic French saison yeast. Roll up your sleeves, or better yet, rip ‘em off to get ready for this unfiltered, dry, slightly spicy and phenolic cider, with lots of big, clean, fresh-peach aromatics. Savor liquid sunshine from Oregon’s leading craft cider producer.

Made with over 46 pounds of peaches per barrel (a barrel is 238 bottles of 500ml if my math is right).

Cidery Description: At 2 Towns Ciderhouse we believe that the long history of cidermaking demands respect and deserves to be done right. Starting with the highest quality whole ingredients from local farms, we take no shortcuts in crafting our ciders. We never add any sugar, concentrates or artificial flavors, and instead use slow, cold fermentation methods to allow the fruit to speak for itself. As a family-owned company, we are committed to the growth of our team and enrichment of our communities. We take pride in producing true Northwest craft cider.

Price: $7.59Where Bought:Chuck’s Hop Shop in Seattle WA (my first time there)Where Drank: homeHow Found: Browsing. I had seen it mentioned online, but didn’t know it was in stores here yet (and didn’t see it at the other 3 bottle shops I went that week).

My Opinion: Yum! This is a perfect spring and summer cider, as it is light and refreshing. However, I didn’t really pick up “slightly spicy” in it, although there is definitely some bite and tartness. I think I picked up a slight amount of “phenolic” flavor, which I read is described as an herbal flavour primarily produced during the malo-lactic fermentation in ‘bittersweet’ ciders.

Closing Notes: Another tasty cider from 2 Towns. This isn’t my favorite style of cider (I usually prefer something richer), but I quite enjoyed it. Sun’s Out Saison also suited the warm temperatures we’ve been having in Seattle to start out Spring.